President Summons All Ministers For Special Cabinet Meeting At 12 Noon To Discuss Possible Arrest Of Country's Senior-most Military Officer

President Maithripala Sirisena has summoned all Cabinet ministers to the Presidential Secretariat, in Colombo, for an urgent meeting at 12 noon.

Top government sources said the meeting had been convened to discuss the possible arrest of Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne, the senior-most serving military officer in the country.

Wijegunaratne left for Mexico earlier this week, hours before he was expected to give a statement to the CID on the murders of 11 Tamil youth.

The Chief of Defence Staff office told media Wijegunaratne left for Mexico on a 'government assignment' and he would take part in the Mexican national day representing the government.

There is also a possibility that Wijegunaratne may be arrested if and when he appears before the CID.

The Fort Magistrate previously permitted the CID to arrest Wijegunaratne if there was suffifient evidence to suggest his involvement in the incident.

It is not entirely clear as to when the Chief of Defence Staff is sheducled to return to the country from Mexico.

Wijegunaratne is to be questioned on whether he helped ex-Navy officer Chandana Hettiarachchi alias Navy Sampath - the main suspect in the abductions and murders of 11 youth - to flee to Malaysia to avoid Police arrest.